Machine for folding tubular knit fabrics.



H. A. SHIELDS. MACHINE FOR FOLDING TUBULAR KNIT FABRICS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 23, 1908.

915,229. Patented Mar. 16, 1909.

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nvc n for l Wt eases 4 Mam 4 H. A. SHIELDS. MACHINE FOR FOLDING TUBULAR KNIT FABRICS.

AHLIOATION FILED MAR. 23, 1908.

915,229. Patented Mar.16, 1909.

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H. A. SHIELDS. MACHINE FOR FOLDING TUBULAR KNIT FABRICS..

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 23, 190B.

915,229. I i V PatentedMar. 16,1909.

3 SHEETSSHBET 3.

avwemfoz W M W UNITED STATES'PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY A. SHIELDS, OF NASHVILLE, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO S. C. F. MACHINERY COMPANY, OF NASHVILLE, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

MACHINE FOB FOLDING TUBULAR KNIT FABRICS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented March 16, 1909.

Application filed March 23, 1908. Serial No. 422,789.

clear, and. exact description of the invention,

such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

M invention relates to improvements in mac lines for folding tubular knit fabrics. It is customary in the manufacture of various knit goods'to first knit a continuous tubular fabric, then fold the same in proper superposed layers for cutting, whereby the samemay be readil cut with dies into proper pieces for pro ucing the desired garments. uch knit fabrics are very' elastic and unless evenly stretched when folded, the several portions afterbutting 'll be uneven in size and distorted in shape": i

The object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty by providing the device with means for uniformly and evenly stretching the material, and for automatically folding the same in layers of uniform dimensions one above the other, and to provide the device with various new and useful features, as hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which: y Figure 1. is a perspective of a machine embodying myin'vention with the upper roller removed; Fig. 2. is a plan view of the entire machine; Fig. 3. anon arged detail of the carri'age rollers and stretching board, shown in transverse section, together with a orti on of the fabric; Fig. 4. an enlarged detal 1n side elevation of one end of the carriage with parts removed; Fig. 5. a plan view of one end "of the carriage; Fig. 6. a detail of a clutch shown in elevation; Fig. 7. the same in plan view; Fig. 8. a detail of a portion of the mechanism for lowering the platform, shown in elevation; Fig. 9. the same at right angles to Fig. 8. with a portion of the platform and belt shifter; Fig. 10. the same as Fig. 9. shown at right angles to said figure.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

1 represents a reciprocating carriage alerted to traverse a ks 2 o he top a e frame of themachine. On this carriage and transverse to the direction of its movement are mounted a pan of rollers 3 between which the fabric is fed downward as the carriage' reciprocates. Slidable within the tubular fabric is a stretcher board 4, preferably made of smooth and light wood which board slides freely within the fabric and is supported in vertical position thereby. This board by its relative width tensions the fabric laterally to an exact and uniform width, and by frictional contact with the fabric as the latter slides betweenthe lower end of the board and the rollers 3 the fabric is longitudinally tensioned uniformly. The board beingsmooth and of light weight will not jam between the rollers but will slide on the interior of the fabric and be carried upward therein by the rollers. This board thus stretches the fabric uniformly as it moves within the same.

5 is a bar on one end of the carriage upon which bar are mounted adjustable blocks 6. carrying guide rods 7 extending at the respective sides of the stretcher board 4 to maintain the latter in proper position.

8 are sprocket wheels loosely journaled on the axis of the respective rollers 3, the hubs 8 of which wheels constitute inner clutch members surrounded bv cup-shaped outer clutch members 9 fixe on the respective shafts of the rollers 3. Between these clutch members are roller dogs movable in cam recesses 46 in the member 8 and retained in operative position by springs 47, these clutch members thus operating as ratchet clutches to alternately operate to rotate the rollers in the same direction. The rollers being geared together at the other end as at 40, each roller- E rollers while the other clutch moves freely backward and each clutch operating alternately.

Above the stretching board 4 and supported by arms 10 moiinted,en the carriage,

' same and a roller 36 is mounted upon the same over whichroller the fabric is drawn from any suitable location. To insure the feeding of the fabricbetween the rollers 3 and t0 yieldingly grip the same, one of these rollshown).

ers is'mounted 1n movable bearings on the carriage which bearings are engaged and forced toward the bearing of the other roller by rods 42 longitudinally movable and operated by springs 41. The carriage is reciprocated preferably) by means of connecting rods 19 operated y pivoted arms 18', which arms are in turn moved by other connecting rods 17 one of which is operatedby a crank 16-and the other by a crank pin in a gear wheel 14 mounted on a shaft 15, the gear wheel serving as one crank and also drives the shaft 15 and is driven by a pinion 13 mounted on a shaft having a tight and loose pulley 12 engaged by a driving belt (not 32 represents a belt shifter to engage and shift the belt on these pulleys to stop and start the machine. This shifter is provided with a handle 33 to manually operate the same, and is also 0 erated to stopthe machine when the plat 'orm reaches the lower limit as hereafter described.

Located beneath the carriage is a platform 20 which is automatically lowered step by step as the material is accumulated thereon. This platform is mounted upon ways 53 attached at their respective ends to vertically extended sprocket chains 21, which chains pass around sprocket wheels 22 at the top and bottom of the frame and extend near the respective corners of the platform. These ways are'connected to the chains by brackets 51 and the platform is slidable on said ways so that when filled, it may be run out from beneath the carriage and outside the frame for removal of the material thereon.

To support the outer end of this platform when so moved outward, 'it is provided with legs 54 having rollers to engage the floor. The upper sprocket wheels 22 which support these chains 21 are connected in pairs by shafts 25 at the respective ends of the machine, these shafts being connected by sprocket wheels 23 and a chain 24 to cause them to rotate simultaneously. The plat form is lowered step by step and held by means of a wheel 26 on one of the shafts 25 and having an overhanging rim engaged by a friction pawl 27, which at each stroke of the carriage is engaged by an adjustable proj'ection 35 on the carriage to turn the shafts 25 and thus lower the latform, the wheel being held in the interval y a friction brake 29 en-, gaging the Wheel 26 and operated by a lever 30 and weight 31'. The pawl 27 is melted at each stroke by means of a spring 28 To stop the machine when the latform has reached the lower limit, one o the brackets 51 terminates in an eye 52 slidable on a vertical rod 50, said rod being attached at its up- A crank 37 is also pro- In operation, as the carria e is reciprocated on thetracks" 2, the ro ers 3 are rotated downward at their adjacent sides at each stroke of the carriage at the same speed that the carriage travels, thus feeding the material evenly to and fro upon the platform 20. At each stroke the platform is lowered sufficient to accommodate the increasing amount of stock thereon. board 4 spreads and stretches the fabric uniformly, laying the same at a uniform tension both/longitudinally and transversely, whereby when cut, each su erposed piece will be of the same size and s ape.

When the platform reaches the lower limit, the machine stops automatically and the platform can be run out from beneath the carria e and the material thereon removed. The p atform is then replaced and restored to operative position and the operation of "the machine repeated. By ad usting the projection 35 on the carriage the downward movement of the platform can be adjusted to conform to the increasing quantity of material thereon."

What I. claim is: v

1. In a folding machine for tubular fabrics, a reciprocating carriage, a pair of rollers mounted on the carriage, a stretcher-board supported by the rollers and adapted to traverse the interior of the tubular fabric and means for reciprocating the carriage.

2. In a folding machine for tubular fabrics a reciprocating carriage, a pair of rollers mounted on the carriage, means for rotating the rollers downward at their adjacent sides when the carriage reciprocates, a second pair of TK 11ers above the first named rollers and spaced apart therefrom, and a stretcherboard between the respective pairs of rollers and ada ted to traverse the interior of the tubular abric.

3. In a folding machine for tubular fabrics a reciprocating carriage, means for o crating the same, a receiving .platform be ow the The I carriage, means for automatically lowering chains engaging said wheels and ctive ends, ratchet clutches con-' "the bar and embracing the stretc the carriage, means for rotating the rollers downward at their adjacent sides, astretcherboard supported upon the rollers, and a i second pair of rollers above the stretcher ward at their adjacent sides during the 'movement of the carriage and at the same speed thereof, a platform below the carriage,

vertically disposed chains su porting the latform, a shaft near each en of the platorm and supporting the chains, meansfor simultaneously rotating said shafts, a wheel 1 on one of said shafts, a friction pawl and a friction brake engaging said wheel, an ad justable stop on the carriage engaging the pawl, and a retracting spring attached to the pawl.

5. In a folding machine for tubular fabrics, a. reciprocating carriage, a pair of rollers mounted on the carriage, a sprocket wheel journaled on the axle of each roller, s rocket ed at their res necting t e respective wheels with the respec,

tive rollers and alternately operative, and

gears connecting the rollers.

6:. In a folding machine for tubular fabrics, a reciprocating carriage, a pair of rollers mounted on said carriage and geared to each other, means for rotating said rollers downward at their adjacent sides at each movement of the carriage and at the same speed, a stretcher-board sup 0 ed by said rollers, a second pair of rollers above the stretcher-board and journaled in arms ate tachcd to the carriage, a roller support above the machine to guide the fabric to the upper rollers of the carriage, and a vertically adjustable plat-form below the carriage.

7. In a folding machine for tubular fabrics, a reciprocating carriage, apair of rollers mounted on the carriage, means for rotating the rollers downward at their adjacent side as the carriage reciprocates and at the same speed, a stretcher-board arranged above said rollers and vertically supported thereby, a

bar on the carriage, guide rods supported by er-board, an upper of rollers above the stretcherboard and arms attached to the carriage and supporting said upper rollers.

8. In a folding machine for tubular fabrics, a reciprocating carriage, a. pair of rollers mounted on the carriage, one of said rollers being mounted in movable bearings, springs to move said bearings toward the bearings of the other roller, means for rotating said rollers downward at each movement of the car the rings and at the same speed, a stretcherboard arranged vertically and supported by said rollers, guide rods at the respective sides of said stretcher board and attached to the carriage, and a second pair of rollers above the stretcher-board and journaled in arms carried it on the carriage.

9. In a fol g machine for tubular fabrics, a reciprocating carriage, a pair of rollers mounted on said carriage, a sprocket wheel loosely joumaled on the axis of each roller we and a hub witha cam recess therein, cup-shaped clutch members surrounding each hub and fixed on the shaft of the respective roller, a roller pawl in the recess of each hub and engaging the respective clutch member, a ring engaging each roller pawl and attachea to the respective hub, sprocket chains engaging the sprocket wheels and fixed at their respective ends.

10. In a folding machine for tubular fabrics, a reciprocating carriage, means for re- 1 ciprocating the same, rollers mounted on said 1 carriage, means for rotating the rollers downward as the carriage moves, a plafiorm beneath the carriage, ways movably supchains supporting said we s, a transverse shaft near each end of the p atform and supporting the chains, sprocket wheels and a chain connecting said shafts, a wheel on one 5 of said shafts, a friction pawl engaging the "rim of said wheel, aretracting spring attached to the pawl, an adjustable stop on the carriage enga the aw], a brake band engaging said w eel, a lever and weight to operate said band.

11. In a folding machine for tubular fabrics, a reciprocating carriage, means for stretching and feeding a fabric downward carried by said carriage, a platform beneath said carriage, means for vertically adjusting the platform operated by said carriage, a driving pulley and a loose pulley to operate the can-lags mechanism, a. belt shifter near said pulleys, a lever to operate "the shifter, a rod attached to the lever, and means for connecting the rod to the platform whereby the belt is shifted by the downward movement of platform.

12. In a folding machine for tubular fabrics, a reciprocating carriage, ways beneath the carriage, means for raising and lowering said ways operated by the carriage, a. plate form slidable on said ways and legs beneath the platform and adapted to support one end of the same when drawn oil the ways.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY A. SHIELDS.

Witnesses:

GEORGIANA CHAoE, LUTHER MOULTON.

'porting said platform, vertically disposed v 

